Underwater
by mrstubbington
Summary: "This is amazing..." Finn trailed. Then, with excitement in his eyes, looked right at his best friend and asked "You can't focus. Right? Jumping every time your phone rings. Checking your e-mail a hundred times a day. Wishing you could write songs just for her." AU. Rated T for Puck's mouth.


**Hello everyone!**

**So sorry for this period of radio silence but I'm not having a good period.  
**

**My grandma died three weeks ago and my computer broke (I was already working on the sequel of 'Welcome to New Direction!' T.T ) around that period of time. As you already knew, Cory Monteith died (which I'm so sorry for... he was such a genuine guy) and my amazing working experience is about to end so... I just wasn't in the mood of writing new stuff. Let's just say that I had my fair share of tears this past month.**

**BUT, the other day, I was watching one of my favourite movie, 'He's just not that into you', and suddenly all these Puckleberry feelings appeared. So what better way to celebrate Mark's (and mine) birthday than write a new Puckleberry one shot?**

**It's AU (thank you, FINA world championship, for the inspiration!) and I really hope you'll enjoy it!**

**Please remember that English is not my first language and this piece is not beta'd.**

**Reviews are highly appreciated, since they always put a big smile on my face. I love hearing what you guys think of my stories!**

* * *

"Puckerman, focus on the game plans or I'll bench you for the next game!" yelled coach Beiste for the umpteenth time that day.

But...damn! How could he focus on anything else but on the girl with the longest (and hottest) pair of legs he had ever seen?

It had been a little more than a year since the girls of the Synchro squad invaded his temple (the university's pool where he and the other guys of the water polo team practised). The coach told them that, since the university decided to cut the cost and close the other pool, they had to share theirs with the girls.

And that was the first time he saw her.

Long brown hair. Smooth olive skin. Big brown doe eyes. Sexy Jewish nose. And legs that drove him wild.

A wet dream on legs. That what she was if you asked him.

How the hell didn't he notice her before? Admittedly, he had his fair share of synchronettes. He was a stud; of course he had.

The fierce Latina? Checked.

The stupid-as-fuck rich girl? Checked.

The Asian doll? Checked.

The clueless Blondie? Checked.

But Rachel Berry? Still unexplored territory for the Puckerone. And that was SO. NOT. KOSHER.

So, at the first party of the school year, he decided that that had to change.

_He immediately spotted her and, with a special swag on his hips, he made a move towards her but he stopped when he saw her sad expression. (He missed it at first 'cause he was busy checking out her legs. Seriously. Thank God for short skirts!)_

_She was sitting alone on the kitchen counter, checking her phone continuously and sighing deeply._

_He smiled fondly, sipped from his cup and got closer to her. When he was close enough, he told her "You know, if a guy doesn't want to call you, he doesn't want to call you. And he won't call you tonight so ditch the phone and have fun. It's not your fault, though. It's like our nature."_

_The woman was slightly taken aback from the bluntness of his statement but recovered quickly"And how do you know it's about a guy? Maybe I'm waiting a call from my parents."_

_He laughed and replied "I saw that sad look on hundreds of girls. And, every time, it was about a guy. Usually me, actually. So, tell me, am I wrong this time?"_

_She stared into his eyes and shook her head, saying in defeat "His name is Brody. I met him when I arrived here from Washington. We went out a couple of times and he seemed so nice. But now he's so distant and... and I don't know why. I tried to call him times and times again but he won't pick up. Maybe he's just going through a difficult time."_

_Puck slid an arm around her shoulder and shook her head._

_"Princess, listen to Puckfasa. We are simple creatures. You don't have to find any type of explanation or excuse behind our behaviour. So, trust me when I say this. If a guy's treating you like he doesn't give a shit, he genuinely doesn't give a shit. And, in this case, this Brody dude sounds like a real moron to ditch a fox like you."_

_"Maybe his grandma died...Or-or he got hit by a cab!" she told him, trying desperately to find an acceptable excuse for Brody's behaviour. He couldn't help but laugh at her body reaction: her hands were moving in circle frantically and her eyes grew bigger while her lips formed a cute little pout._

_Damn, she was cute._

_So he said sweetly "If a guy wants to be with a girl, he will make it happen, no matter what. Not even being hit by a cab could stop us."_

_"What about exceptions? I could be his exception" she asked, her voice full of hopes. He was almost sorry when he answered "You're the rule for that prick, Princess. As I told you, he's a moron."_

_Rachel smiled sadly at him and frankly said "From a very young age, we're all programmed to believe that if a guy acts like a total jerk, that means that he likes you. You're the first person ever to tell me the ugly truth."_

_She got quiet for few moments before asking "Why? Why are you being nice with me? I heard stories about you, Noah Puckerman, and, according to them, you are not a really nice person."_

_The man laughed out loud but answered nonetheless "I'm definitely the big bad wolf here but.. I don't know. I like you, I suppose."_

_"You do?" she asked, a little taken aback but with such a bright smile on her face that he couldn't help but smile back at her while saying "Well, yeah... But don't start doodling my name on you binder, ok?", making her laugh loudly._

_When she stopped, she turned off her phone, grabbed her cup and, as she raised it, said "How stupid is for a girl to wait for a guy's call anyway?", making him raise his cup as well and drink at their new friendship. _

That night they only talked. A lot. (Which, admittedly, was fucking weird for him).

But you know what? He was fine with that 'cause she actually was pretty awesome. Sure, she was pig-headed and, most of the time, thought that the sun rose from her (damn fine) ass but she was also funny, kind, confident and sweet.

For the first time ever, Puck wasn't bored out of his damn mind while talking with a girl. That's why he decided to be friend with her. He never had a friend who was a girl before but he realized that he wanted Rachel to be in his life. Sure, it would be fun-fucking-tastic if she decided that she wanted to take a ride on the Puckerone Express but, as long as she was a part of his life, he would be fine with everything that would (or wouldn't) happen between them two.

The only problem? The more time the spent together, the more he realized how truly amazing she was and suddenly he found himself feeling for her something he had never experienced for any girl before and just being her friend was not enough anymore. But he was so afraid to screw their friendship up that he was terrified to do something about it.

He groaned when he saw Rachel doing a slit pop-up, showing off her perfect legs, before disappearing underwater. He legs reappeared moments after, twirling together.

He could stare at those legs all day long. Legit.

Finn chuckled when he heard him growl and said to him "Just ask her out, bro. The worst she can tell you is no. At least, after that, you will push her out of your system and pay attention at your own team".

Finn deserved to be shoved into the pool. He deserved that.

Puck adjusted his cap and swimbrief before diving and swimming next to that moron that was his best friend, who was still laughing at his expenses.

"Stop laughing, Hudson! It's not that easy" the mohawked man growled as he started front-crawling towards the goal.

He stopped in front of it and waited for the other man to take his place. No shit Finn was the goalie. The man was freakishly tall and his arms were damn long; he was born for that position.

Finn was treading water in front of him as he looked at his friend as if that was the first time he ever saw Puck.

"You're in love with her" the goalie said in disbelieve.

"Shut up" Puck muttered but his friend shook his head and, with an amused smile on his face, stated "I know strung out and you are strung out!"

Puck scoffed and muttered "Please" but Finn was too wrapped up in his stream of thoughts to mind him.

"This is amazing..." Finn trailed. Then, with excitement in his eyes, looked right at his best friend and asked "You can't focus. Right? Jumping every time your phone rings. Checking your e-mail a hundred times a day. Wishing you could write songs just for her."

The hazel-eyed man couldn't help but laugh (dryly) at Hudson.

"No, wait.." Finn continued "Feeling the need to bring up her name in random conversation. It's always the same and it happened to you too, my friend".

Puck remained silent, thinking about what his friend told him. He would have loved to say something about how much of a pussy Finn was but... he couldn't. He couldn't 'cause the things the goalie just said? He did or thought them all since he started to hang out with Rachel.

So, the only thing Puck could do was shut his eyes tight and mutter "Shit."

Finn smirked and said "Welcome to my world, asshole. Now throw me the ball."

After some shots, thrown in complete silence, Finn decided to talk. He simply said to the other man "Just... Don't chicken out, okay Puck? Girls like Rachel don't stay available for very long and some other guy may take her off the market if you don't get your shit together very soon."

Puck frowned at what his friend just said. His blood started boiling just thinking about his Rach with some other guy.

He was about to reply but coach told them to cut with the chat and keep practising (If he threw some violent shots, it was completely unintentional. Not really.)

Coach sent him to take a break and calm down after he nearly drown Sam during a man-to-man.. but hey! He knew better than saying to him how hot the synchronettes looked that day. Puck didn't appreciate when his teammate talked any kind of shit about his girl (Yes, he thought of her as 'his'. Sue him.)

He sat down and groaned out in frustration as he scrubbed his head with his hands. He didn't even notice the small figure that sat next to him until he heard "Noah, what's wrong?"

Puck smiled slightly as his heart started to beat faster.

"Nothing's wrong, Princess. Don't worry about me" he answered while his hazel eyes met her brown ones for the first time that day.

She shot him a look and stated "I don't believe you, Noah. I can tell something is wrong. Poor Sam was about to drown out there because of you. And I don't think Finn asked you to throw that ball so hard. Look at his face and hands, they're bright red right now! So, please, tell me what's wrong. You know you can't tell me everything, right? You're my best friend. I want to help you."

Friend.

He had never thought he would hate a word that much.

"Listen," he snapped "it's any of your fucking business so just drop it, for fuck's sake!"

He wanted to take everything back right after, when he saw her hurt look and that sad, little pout on her lips.

She nodded sadly and tried to get up but he put a hand on her toned, smooth tight and stopped her, forcing her to keep sitting next to him.

"Sorry" he muttered. Puck took a deep breath and then continued "It's just... It's a shitty day and I'm kinda taking it out on everyone. I have some shit playing with my brain and I don't know what to do. But I'm going to be fine, Rach. Don't worry about Puckfasa" he said, winking at her and smiling when she giggled in response.

She set a hand on his (which was still resting on her tight. Yes. It was that comfortable) and squeezed it gently while saying "What about you tell me what's worrying you tonight, after practise's over?"

How could he tell her no when she was looking at him with her doe eyes full of hope and was smiling brightly at him?

He couldn't.

That's why he just nodded and smirked before stating "Alright, Rach", getting up and helping her in the process.

"I'm going to wait for you in the hall, okay?" Puck told her and, in response, she nodded happily and kissed his cheek before walking away and throwing a last glance at him from her shoulder.

With his cheek still tingling from the chaste kiss, he dove back in the pool and rejoined his teammates, rolling his eyes when Finn and Sam shot at him knowing smirks (the former) and questioning looks (the latter).

"So?" asked Sam further in the practice, as he passed him the ball.

"So what?" replied Noah honestly.

The blond man tilted his head in the direction of the other half of the pool, the one occupied by the synchronettes, and asked "What was all that touchy-feely thing with Rachel?" but, before Sam could say anything else, his attention had been caught by the sight of a Latina beauty so he found himself asking instead "Dude, you still screwing Santana? 'Cause I'd really like to ask her out".

Evans looked at his mohawked friend, who was looking at him as if he was stupid, and hurried "I mean, if you still care for her then I won't. Bros before hoes."

Puck shook his head before answering "The hell you talking about, Ken? I'm not screwing Satan anymore. She's fair game. I don't care about her. Sure, she's a cool chick and all but that was just for fun. She's fucking crazy in bed and easy. But now I have my mind set on someone else", as his eyes found Rachel on the other side of the pool.

Sam followed his friend's gaze and grinned. He muttered "Sure you do, Puck. Sure you do", before laughing out loud at the face is hazel-eyed friend made at him.

Puck shook his head at the insanity of his friend but couldn't help but laugh along with the blonde man.

His gaze went back to the other side of the pool where Rachel was laughing at something her choreographer Jesse St. James just said.

Her head was tilted back and she was trying to hide away her smile behind one of her hands.

Puck instantly frowned and gritted his teeth when he saw that Saint Suck was looking at her adoringly, caressing her arm gently.

Fuck.

Finn was right. If he wouldn't man up, she would slip right through his fingers.

Other guys would fall for her and he would just be the moron who let her go before even having her.

And he'd be damned if that happened.

He was thinking just that when the ball (thrown by Sam) hit him right in the head. He glared at his teammate menacingly and, before going after him for revenge, he threw a last look at the petite woman, sighing deeply.

* * *

"Crazy Berry, come and have drinks with us tonight! I'm sure your teddy-slippers and your cup of whatever-the-fuck you drink can wait for you a little longer tonight. You're too hot to waste your youth watching "Funny Girl" every fucking week instead of hooking up with all the men that drool after your damn fine ass" said Santana while unwrapping the towel from her body and remaining stark-naked in front of her roommate and best friend.

Since she transferred from Cleveland, she was immediately paired with Santana during practise.

The Latina was a terrific synchronette and they were perfect underwater but their personalities clashed big time at first.

However, they learned to compromise in order to succeed in competitions and discovered that they were kind of perfect for each other out the pool as well. Rachel pushed Santana to do her best in and out the pool, cheering her on when the Latina was ready to admit defeat, and Santana became some sort of Berry-keeper, looking out for the petite girl and defending her as if she was her sister.

No longer after they started to really get along, they decided to move together in a nice flat, just outside the campus and not far from the pool, and, even if Santana still made fun of Rachel's habits most of the time and they still argued for everything, they never regretted that decision.

Rachel even got used to all the names Santana called her. So she just ignored the fact that her best friend just told her she thought she was crazy and answered evenly "Tonight I can't. I'm busy."

The black-haired girl stilled for a couple of seconds before stating "'Breakfast at Tiffany' on TV is an event you can reschedule. So you're going out with me and baby mama. Period."

Rachel looked at Quinn a little alarmed and asked "Who's with Beth?" but the blonde promptly assured her, in a tender voice "Joe. He said that I deserve a night out with my friend 'cause I'm working really hard between school, synchro and being a mom. So he swap shift with one of his colleagues and told me to have fun."

"Aww!" cooed Rachel "He's such a sweetheart", watching her green-eyed friend smile warmly and nod in agreement. Then the petite girl looked Santana in the eyes and told her "Still, I can't come with you girls. I've made previous arrangements that cannot be rescheduled".

Santana frowned and growled "Where are you going? With whom? Why didn't you tell me? You know I don't like being kept in the dark" but Rachel smiled gently and said sweetly "San, don't worry about me. You two have fun. I'm just going out with Noah, that's all. Something's wrong with him and I just want to be there for him and help him".

Her best friend smirked and, pointing at her roommate with her hairbrush, stated "You want him in you. That's what you want. Sure as fuck it's what he wants. So now the question is: do I have to crash on someone's couch so you and Puckerman can do the nasty at our place? Just stay the fuck away from the sofa and the table, thank you very much".

Rachel giggled as she put on the boots and replied "He's not interested in me like that. And I'm fine with that. He told me that he's not the relationship kind-of-guy. He told me. You told me that, as well as half of the team. And, even if I admit that he can be very charming and sweet and I have a slight crush on him, I have to deal with the fact that a relationship between us can not happen".

('Slight crush' being a HUGE understatement here. But she had to lie to her friend - and to herself as well - to keep her sanity.)

Lopez shook her head and muttered "You're fucking stupid. Just like he is. You're kinda perfect together" but the brown-eyed girl just smiled at her, kiss her best friend's cheek and walked out the locker room, not before waving goodby to her other teammates.

* * *

When she walked in the hall she saw him and, as usual, she felt her heart beating hard in her chest.

She couldn't wrap her head around just how beautiful he was. In and out.

He truly was one of the best guy she had ever met.

As right now, he was leaning on the wall while talking with Finn. His hoodie was unzipped, showing the T-Shirt underneath it that hugged his pecs perfectly. The sleeves emphasized his lovely arms while his pants hung low on his waist. His beautiful hazel eyes shone as he laughed at something funny that Finn just said and his hand passed on his (still damp) mohawk.

Rachel sighed, shook her head and marched towards the guys, stating, as soon as she arrived in front of them "Noah Puckerman, why on earth you didn't dry your hair? And I really do hope you have adequate clothes to face this dreadful weather. I don't want you to get sick!".

Noah smirked and answered "You could always be my nurse, babe" but he was quickly shot down by her ice-cold reply "If you really think I want to get sick so close to the state championship, you're highly mistaken. But I'm sure Finn or Sam would love to look after you. Or, maybe, I should call your mother..."

The mohawked man covered her mouth quickly and hurried to say "Whoa, Berry. No need to use the mom card every fucking time! You seriously no fun!"

She looked at him unimpressed until he reached for his sack and grabbed his jacket and a scarf from it.

"Happy now?" he asked as he put them on and she sighed deeply and said "I'm still not very enthusiastic of you facing this weather will your hair still wet but I know that this is all I'm going to get. I don't really know why you are so against the use of blow dryers. It's snowing, Noah! You could catch pneumonia!".

"Pussies use blow dryers" he stated firmly.

"Finn blows his hair" she said right back, pointing at the tall guy next to her who was enjoying the conversation between the two.

Rachel was the only person on earth who could keep Puck on his toes and put him in his place. It was always hilarious to see his friend change his demeanour just because of this petite spitfire.

"And, as I said, pussies use blow dryers" Puck smirked.

Finn rolled his eyes and said "And, with that, I'm out. Rachel, lovely to see you at usual. Take care of the asshole and, if you get bored, give me a call", kissing her on the cheek and making her giggle.

Finn looked at Puck with amusement in his eyes as his friend shot a dreadful glare at him and asked coldly "You still here, fucker?".

Rachel watched as Finn laughed at his friend's question and walked away. When the tall man was out of the building, she glared at Noah and hissed "You have to stop being so disrespectful with your friends!" but he rolled his eyes and picked up his sack, walking away and keeping the door open for her to walk out of the building.

She was still lecturing him when he stopped her with a sharp "Dammit, why do you fucking care?! You crushing on Hudson? Just FYI, I heard he got early arrival problem when it comes to horizontal mambo. So don't act surprise when you fuck him!"

She gaped and stared blankly at him.

Then she turned bright red and said angrily "You know what? Call me when you're not... such an asshole because, seriously, right now, I can't deal with Puck. I wanted to talk with Noah because I knew that something preoccupied him. Call me when you see him."

She felt her throat tighten as she turned on her heels and walked away quickly, not even care about the icy pavement. She ignored him as he called out for her.

She hated when he acted like that. That was not the real him. That was Puck.

Badass. Player. Asshole.

But Noah? Noah was almost perfect.

Caring. Sweet. Attentive. Funny.

Noah was the guy who held her every time she cried while watching "The way we were". He was the guy who showed up at her place randomly with a box of her favourite vegan chocolate just because he knew that chocolate made her happy. He was the one who called his Nana almost every day and sang to her Frank Sinatra's song because they used to listen to them every time she had to look after him and his little sister Sarah when he was just a little boy.

Noah was the guy she fell for. Such an important person in her life that she was willing to set aside her feelings for him if that meant not losing him.

Suddenly she felt an arm slide on her collarbone, forcing her to stop, and familiar muscles against her back as a soothing voice whispered in her ear "Rach, I'm sorry. I know I'm an asshole but, please, don't leave me."

Her heart ached at that words. They were so much heavier that they seemed.

She took a deep breath and took her time to enjoy the position she was in, relaxing as seconds passed by.

He kissed the back of her head and apologized once more, softly. She could feel his warm breath as he nuzzled his nose against her silky brown hair.

She turned and hugged him tightly, stating softly "I don't like when you act like that. It's not you".

She breathed in and smiled, recognizing his familiar scent. His heart beat filled her ears while her hands roamed on his back. His hand was playing with her hair as he rested his lips on her forehead.

"Can we just go talk somewhere?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers. "Just me and you. No one else around" he added seriously, making Rachel frown in concern but nod nonetheless.

They walked in silence to her place. Next to each other, his arm slung lazily on her shoulder while she kept glancing worriedly at him.

When they finally made in, he left his sack and shoes next to the door and fell heavily on the couch.

After slipping in her teddy slippers (Noah brought them for her because she kept saying that he was like a bear), Rachel walked in the kitchen and pour him a glass of chocolate milk. She knew that he would rather have something stronger but she also knew that chocolate milk always comforted him in stressful situation so she made a point to always have it in her fridge. His mother used to give him that every time he was sad for his father walking away (even if he would say that he didn't care at all).

Sometime she liked to think that he knew him better than anyone else.

Noah smiled tiredly when she put the glass on the coffee table in front of him and sat down next to him smiling encouragingly.

He took a sip at the glass and simply said "You remember", making her look strangely at him and reply "Of course, I remember. I'm your best friend".

He laughed dryly and shook his head, stating "Finn's my best friend and he knows shit about that", pointing at the glass as he looked right into her big doe eyes.

He took a deep breath and continued "You know me like no one else does. And I know you better than anyone else. I always stood by you, making sure you were happy and safe and... Shit, this is difficult".

Hearing that, saying that Rachel was confused was an euphemism. She felt like he was mad at her and she barely held it together, trying not to cry.

"Noah" she said with a trembling voice "Are you angry with me? Have I done something wrong to you? If I did I'm really sorry."

He got up and paced in front of her for a couple of seconds before stopping and stating, as he looked at her "I can't do this anymore. I mean... Shit, I fucking can't stand the sight of other dudes touching you or... looking at you in a way that just makes me want to break their face. I want to punch St. James' fucking smirk outta his fugly face every time he plays with your hair or even look at him. And every single time the guys talk shit about just how fucking hot you are, I get so fucking close to kick them in their nuts it's insane. Because I can't stand the idea of you with someone else that it's not me. I tried really hard not to fall for you. I just keep thinking "You cannot fucking hurt her, Puck. She's not like the others. She deserves so fucking more that an asshole like you. But fuck" he passed his hands on his face before ending "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of being your friend when I want so much more. Do you know just how fucking perfect you are to me?"

Rachel was completely speechless.

The only thing that she could do was staring at him, mouth ajar, with a million thought in her mind.

If those were his feelings, how could she have been so blind, so sure of his lack of romantic feelings for her, even when everyone were telling her the contrary?

Santana was right.

She was stupid.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice how Noah reacted at her silence.

The lack of a response made him believe that she wasn't interested in him that way so he shook his head in defeat and muttered "Fuck. Forget what I just said, ok? I'm... I'm a fucking idiot and I'm going now. See ya 'round".

She noticed that he was no longer in front of her when he was almost at the door. She got up quickly, cried "Noah! Wait!" and ran to reach him.

He slowly turned, just to see her standing not far from him. She gaped as if she wanted to tell him something but, as he said, she knew him better that anyone else and she decided to have an approach that he could fully understand.

She launched herself on him, grabbing his face in her hands and sighing contentedly when her lips met his.

His arms secured her body against his as their nose brushed against one another and their lips smashed together desperately.

She stopped the kiss and, with a smile playing on her lips, she whispered "I am an exception."

He laughed, remembering their very first conversation together, but then he nodded and sweetly said "You're _my _exception", before kissing her again.

* * *

From that day on, Puckleberry became the power couple of the pool.

She was his n. 1 fan, cheering for him at every giving opportunity, just as much as Puck was Rachel's.

Together they were able to complete one another and even out their rough edges. Their relationship was often envied by their friends and by anyone who had the chance to witness their love and affection.

However, things weren't always so easy.

They broke up more than once but, in the end, they would always find a way to one another. Because no matter how many times Noah told her she was crazy or how many times Rachel stomped her foot because he was being an asshole.. They would never find another person who would love the other with the same intensity and devotion.

And as she walked down the aisle of the synagogue, Rachel knew that she was about to marry the love of her life and Puck couldn't hold back the tears as he thought just how lucky he was that he had found his soulmate and that they were going to start the rest of their life together.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading it! Hope you liked it and please, PLEASE, review it! As I said before, I love reading what you guys think of my stories!**

**Have a nice weekend, sweethearts!**


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